Molded pulp cushion pad



May 2, 1950 w. .1. DE REAMER MOLDED PULP CUSHION PAD Filed May 6, 1947 afar Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES nTeN'r OFFICE signorto Mapes Consolidated Manufacturing Company, Griliith, Ind, a. corporation of Delaware lippiication May 6, 1947, Serial No. 746,385

3 earns. F 1 i This invention relates to improvements in molded pulp cushion pads and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. The pad of the present invention is especially adapted for use in connection with upper and lower conventional cellular fillers in a standard egg case. Generally itis of the kind illustrated and described in my prior Patent 2,414,724 of January 21, 1947, but includes improved structure having advantages that are not present in the pad of saidpatent. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a cushion pad of this kind, wherein the parts are so constructed and arrangedrelativeto each other as to coact in materially stiffening the pad in every direction againrt bending, so that it not only has great strength, but will remain in a better unwarped condition in the handling it receives in use for its intended purpose. .Another object of the invention is to provide a pad of this kind wherein each area between each group of four of the adiacent seats thereof, is considerably stiffened and has the parts thereof arranged for betterengagement upon the top edges of the intersections of the filler strips be- ;low so as to rest flatwise thereon and whereby in the building up of the several layers of fillers and pads, the pads remain in a better parallel relationship than possible in devices heretofore provided for this purpose.

Alsofit is an object of the invention tosofa'rnge the parts on the margin of the body outside e-out ermost row. of .egg receiving seats on said dy, that-said margins cannot readily. curl Tor the pad as a whole will stack or nest better for shipment and may be better handled when pack- "he an eg case therewith in connection with associated cellular fillers. The above mentioned objects of the invention, together with others, as well as the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing: 'Fig. 1 is a top view ona full size scale of the "egg receiving side of a corner fragment of the improved pad, with a part of the cell forming lfiller used therewith appearing in dotted lines thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a number of pads disposed, with associated fillers between them, in a part of a'standard egg case.

:Figs. 3, 4-and 5 are detail vertical sectional -views through parts of the "pad iraigment of Fig.

tend out of the plane of the body and whereby portions [6a and each area is crossed by diag- "the ends of which merge into said wall porti 5.

plane of the portions l5.

spectively and on the scale of said Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is 'a bottom view of a fragment of the pad showing parts the vicinity of the line 6- 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, theimproved pad, which is made of molded pulpmaterial, is a scant 11 /2" square and is of a uniform stools thickness throughout, IOl'l the order of '1 s of an inch. it includes a flat sheet-like body ID with egg receiving seats I i rising from the upper surface thereof. fhe seats, which are herein shownas of an octagonal shape, are arrangedin longitudinal and transverse rows that parall-elthe longitudinal and transverse edges of the body. There are six of such se'atsin each row so that each pad has thirty-six seats. These seats are so arranged as to match up or register with each cell It, as formed by the intersecting strips I3 and H5 respectively of the fillers, with which the pads are employed in a standard egg case, a part of which appears in Fig. 2 and will be later mentioned.

Each egg receivingcup or seat i 1 includes alternate and intermediate pairs of inner and outer walls l5-i5a and l8-i5u, respectively, which converge towardthe top to join as a ridge H. The inner walls l5 and it of said pair of walls extend inwardly and downwardly from said ridge I! and join with a rectangular bottom l8 for each c'upor seat, which bottom is disposed in a plane above that of the body Ii}, as best appears in Fig. 3.

The outer side walls [5a of each alternatepair of most of the seats on the pad extend downwardly and outwardly from the ridge to merge into filler. strip edge supporting portions l9 disposed in a plane between that of said seat bottorhs l8 and said body ill. These portions [9 between the variousseats II are relatively long with respect to their widthand they extend in the directions of the associated filler strips I 3 and I l respectively, as best appearsin Fig. 1.

Between the wall portions "5a of each group of four adjacent seats I I is an area 29, preferably square in shape, the bottom of which is disposed in the plane of the body It, as best appears in Fig.4. The center of each area is arranged coincident with the associated intersections of the filler strips I3 and Id. The outline edges of each square area 20 is defined by the base of said wan onally extending intersecting hollow ribs 2!" The top edges of said ribs are disposed in lie Thusthese ribs: oi-ztend at an angle to the strip edge supporting portions 19 so that in no place in the pad is there a bending plane that is not interrupted by the ribs mentioned. Thus the pad cannot readily be bent in a straight line in any direction of the pad and it is thereby materially stiffened and reinforced in strength.

On the margin of the body H3 outwardly from the wall portions Iba in the outermost rows of seats are triangular extensions 2222, the apex or pointed ends of which terminate substantially at the edge of the pad, as best appears in Fig. 1. Each extension 22 has a flattened top 23 that is disposed in the plane of the portions i9 and the top surfaces of the ribs 2| and these flat ened tops form the supports fo portions of the outermost strips i3 and i l of the filler. Each top 23 is triangular in shape and its base joins the bot tom edge of the associated wall portion I do.

On the margin of the pad body are provided cruciform hollow ribs 2424, one arranged in line with the rows of portions ill in both directions of the pad and in each corner of the margin is another cruciform rib 25. The inner end parts of each rib 24 join the wall portions i6ai6a of the outermost seats about the pad and the inner end part of each rib 25 joins that part of each seat as formed by the diagonal sides of the triangular portions of each seat in each corner of the pad. The intersection of the parts forming the ribs 24 and 25 respectively are so disposed as to register with the intersections of the outermost strips i3 and Id of the fillers used with the pads and the top surface of said ribs are disposed in the same plane as that of the top surface of the ribs 2I2| and the portions ill9.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated a fragment of a pack comprising the improved pads and associated fillers when disposed in a part of the standard egg case 26, the bottom of which is indicated at 2? and one end of which is indicated at 28.

In arranging a pack, as mentioned, one of the improved pads is placed in one of the compartments of the egg case, with its body i9 engaged on the bottom 2! of the case, as in Fig. 2. The parts of the body engaged in supporting relation upon said bottom are the margin thereof and the squared areas 20. A cellular filler composed of sets of the intersecting strips l3 and I4 in its opened up condition, is then placed in the case, with the bottom edges of said strips between the intersections thereof, engaged in supporting relation upon the portions 19 of the pad and with the intersections of said strips resting in supporting engagement upon the intersections of the holow ribs 2l24 and 25. Portions of the bottom edges of the outermost strips, between their intersections, will rest in supporting engagement upon the flat tops 23 of the triangular extensions 22.

An egg E is placed in each cell i2, preferably small end down, which end will engage at eight points or areas on the inner walls l5 and it of the associated seat, the meeting corners of said walls i providing air circulating channels about that end 7 of the egg engaged in said seat.

After eggs have been placed in all cells of the filler associated with the first pad, another pad is porting relation directly upon the top edges of said fillers adjacent the intersections thereof.

This will dispose the intersections of each of the ribs 2l-24 and 25 in line with said intersections.

In this respect it is pointed out that while the underside of said ribs, which are hollow, form downwardly appearing grooves, they extend diagonally with respect to said strips so that the strips cannot enter the same. The areas mentioned as engaged upon the strips as described, are of sufficient size and number so that the strips cannot cut through the same under the weight of the eggs on the pads above. Also, with this arrangement of said areas and the ribs as described, the pad remains in a flat condition against warpin in the drying out the pads receive in the manufacture thereof.

Additional sets of intersecting fillers and associated pads are used until there are five layers of eggs, with thirty-six eggs per layer. At the top of the stack a final pad is positionedpreferably with the egg seats facing upwardly. How'VeIT" under certain conditions, such as for example when the eggs in the top layer are relatively small, the upper pad may be inverted, i. c. with the egg seats i i! l facing downwardly.

With the structure described, the bottom margin of the strips of each filler are disposed upon the portions IQ of the pad and are then prevented from shifting. In the present instance, the upper margins of the strips of the filler do not have an interlocked engagement with the bottom of the pad above, the pad resting in supporting engagement upon said edges by reason of the four sections of each area 25 and those marginal parts of the body in line therewith. These sections present a considerable area and will rest flatwise upon the edges of the filler below and as the sections mentioned afford the effective bottom for the pad as a whole, the pad cannot rock or skew when placed in the egg case, but immediately finds its seat upon the filler, upon which it is placed. Thus each pad naturally finds a position parallel with those previously placed in the case so that the stacl: as a whole is evenly built up with all pads in parallelism.

Furthermore, all of the projections and the grooves or hollow areas provided thereby are of such size, form and disposition that a number of the pads may be readily stacked or nested for shipment to the place where they are to be used. They can then also be readily separated without injury to the pads.

While in describing my invention I have referred in detail to the form, construction and arrangement of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense and therefore I do not wish to be limited thereto eX- cept as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A molded pulp cushion pad for use in connection with upper and lower fillers comprising intersecting cell forming strips, said pad having a rectangular sheet-like body with egg receiving seats projecting above and spaced in longitudinal and transverse rows on the upper face of said body portion to register with cells formed by'the fillers, each seat including inner and outer oppositely inclined walls that join as a ridge for the top of the seat, the inner wall of each seat affording support for the egg engaged thereon, parts of the body portion between certain outer wall portions of adjacent seats providing upwardly opening channel-iike portions for receiving and holding against lateral shifting marginal bottom portions of the strips of the upper filler between the intersections thereof, other parts of said body portion, each being bounded by other wall portions of each group of four adjacent seats, each of said other parts being formed in its bottom with downwardly opening channels that extend substantially at a right angle to each other in opposite directions diagonally of the body and dividing each of said other parts into four spaced portions, the bottoms of which are disposed in the plane of the body and are adapted to engage for support upon upper edge portions of the strips of the filler below, adjacent the intersections thereof.

2. A molded pulp cushion pad for use in connection with upper and lower fillers comprising intersecting cell forming strips, said pad having a rectangular sheet-like body with egg receiving seats projecting above and spaced in longitudinal and transverse rows on the upper face of saidbody portion to register with cells formed by the fillers, each seat being of octagonal shape and including alternate and intermediate pairs of oppositely inclined inner and outer walls that join as a ridge for the top of each seat, the alternate outer walls of each seat extending parallel with the edges of the body portion and the intermediate outer wall portions of each seat extending diagonally relatively to said edges, the inner walls of each seat afiording points of support for the egg engaged thereon, parts of the body portion between alternate outer walls of adjacent seats providing upwardly opening channels for receiving and holding against lateral shifting marginal portions of the strips of the upper filler between intersections thereof and other parts of said body portion between the first mentioned parts being bounded by associated intermediate outer wall portions of each group of four adjacent seats, each of said other parts of said body portion being formed to provide downwardly opening channels that extend in substantially opposite diagonal directions and divide each of said other parts of the body portion into four spaced portions, the bottoms of which are disposed in the plane of said body and which four spaced portions are adapted to engage for support upon upper edge portions of the strips of the filler below, adjacent the intersections thereof.

3. A molded pulp cushion pad for use in connection with upper and lower fillers comprising intersecting cell forming strips, said pad having a rectangular sheet-like body with egg receiving seats projecting above and spaced in longitudinal and transverse rows on the upper face of said body portion to register with cells formed by the fillers, each seat including inner and outer oppositely inclined walls that join as a ridge for the top of the seat, the inner wall of each seat affording support for the egg engaged thereon, parts of the body portion between certain outer wall portions of adjacent seats providing upwardly opening channel-like portions for receiving and holding against lateral shifting marginal bottom portions of the strips of the upper filler between the intersections thereof and other parts of said body portions, each being bounded by other wall portions of each group of four adjacent seats, each of said other parts being formed in its bottom with downwardly opening channels that extend substantially at a right angle to each other in opposite directions diagonally of the body and dividing each of said other parts into four spaced portions, the bottoms of which are disposed in the plane of the body and are adapted to engage for support upon upper edge portions of the strips of the filler below, adjacent the intersections thereof, the marginal portions of the body outwardly from the adjacent sides of each seat in the outermost rows thereof about the pad, having portions that extend outwardly from each seat to substantially the edge of the pad body and each of said portions having a flat top for engagement by parts of the lower edges of the outermost cellular filler, and cruciform hollow ribs dis-posed in said marginal portion of the body between said outwardly extending portions and parts of which ribs intersect each other to form supports for the intersections of the outermost strips of the fillers and are disposed in the same plane as said flat tops and the first mentioned hollow ribs.

WILLIAM J. DE REAMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,955,907 De Reamer Apr. 24, 1934 2,215,252 Randall et a1 Sept. 1'7, 1940 2,268,702 De Reamer Jan. 6, 1942 2,401,141 De Reamer May 28, 1946 2,414,724 De Reamer Jan. 21, 1947 

